Profile Powersports [Archive]

MWValley

01-02-2005, 11:07 PM

Profile Powersports in Conway NH

Purchased my DL 1000K4 from these folks in September 2004. They were very pleasant, friendly and they gave me a smokin' deal. Who doesn't love a smokin' deal right? I essentially got the bike with Cee Bailey windscreen, factory center stand, hard luggage set, tank bra, and factory service manual for the MSRP of the bike alone. A smokin' deal indeed. As well they ordered up all the accessories I wanted and everything arrived very quickly. Good job.

What wasn't so great was the bike was not preflighted before they handed it over to me. In the first hairpin turn I negotiated, the front end started to wash out. I managed stopping in the curve without crashing and rode slowly home. Upon closer inspection there was only eighteen pounds of air in the front tire. There was just twenty five in the rear.

I wasn't very happy about this but I accept responsibility for riding the bike with underinflated tires. I did not personally check it at the dealership. I trusted that they had done it.

Pauljo

01-03-2005, 12:03 AM

Dealers are notoriously bad for not checking tire pressure. I don't know why. It is a safety issue. But it has happened to me a couple of times, and I have read about at least a half dozen other cases on the net. I did make a point of complaining to both the Sales manager and the Service manager at the dealership the last time a new bike was delivered to me with about 50% of the minimum recommended tire pressure. And I do note it on their satisfaction survey cards when they mount new tires and don't set the pressure properly. What is so darn hard about it anyway? There is a plaque with the recommended tire pressure settings in a clearly visible spot on every bike I've seen lately. Heck, the Ford dealer checks my tire pressures whenever I bring in my cars for an oil change or whatever. And it's way more critical from a safety standpoint on a bike.

MWValley

01-03-2005, 11:26 AM

TPadden

01-03-2005, 11:36 AM

I agree. Maybe I live in another universe but as a retired aircraft mechanic, it boggles my mind that anyone would let a motorcycle out the door without a full "preflight".

Or maybe I am an anal-retentive picky bastard. ;-)

Ride well and fully inflated,

Jeff

Preflight hell - how about a test flight (retired pilot). Every shop I frequent wouldn't let a bike go without a quick ride. At my favorite it's the service manager who does the testing.

MWValley

01-03-2005, 12:06 PM

As my Aussie friends might say, "Good on ya."

You're quite completely right. The preflight is important but the test flight should be "ops check good" before the bike gets handed over to the customer.

Good point!

Jeff

TPadden

01-03-2005, 07:33 PM

My father had the pleasure of knowing Eddie Rickenbacker (top USA Ace in WWI). Eddie was a race car driver, who proposed using race car drivers to form American squadrons. The Army didn't buy it but made him a general's driver. He then became a pilot and the leading Ace. After the war he founded Eastern Airlines and even flew on special missions in WWII.

He told my father that his WWI plane, a single seat Spad showed up at the hanger literally in crates. The wood and cloth bi-planes were then assembled by a mechanic. For the first flight after assembly the mechanic actually sat on the pilots lap in a very cramped single seat cockpit. Eddie said even though sometimes the assembly was done by a frenchman who didn't speak English - the lap-flight provided the needed quality control.

I digress - ..... yes the preflight is also important :lol:

thefifthcircle

01-03-2005, 07:45 PM

Licensed A&P(airframe and powerplant) mechanic here....I would stand behind my work anyday. But responsibility always falls back on the pilot. Very classy of MWValley to say he accepts responsibility for the riding on tires....even though in this instance I think that the dealer is at fault! Somthing that little but important should not have been overlooked!